Nut-lock



J. O. GENTRY. NUT'LOGK.

Patented June 2, 1896 (No Model.)

l; M i 1 Z 1/, I? 9 2 E I J B E I VJ g 9 w f W 1 a m Q m W fay 4 WWWUNITE STATES ATENTY OFFICE.

JAMES C. GENTRY, OF MONROE CITY, MISSOURI.

NUT-LOCK.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 561,259, dated June 2,1896.

Application filed June 18, 1895.

To all whmn it may concern:

Be it known that 1, JAMES C. GENTRY, a citizen of the United States,residing at Monroe City, in the county of Monroe and State of Missouri,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Nut-Locks; and I dohereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact descriptionof the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to whichit appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to improvements in nut-locks, the objects in' viewbeing to produce a simple construction of a lock applicable alike tojoints of railways, angle-irons in bridge-building, or other ironstructures subje'ct to constant vibrations, and designed to securely andin a removable manner lock the nuts against retrogression.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will appear in thefollowing description, and the novel features thereof will beparticularly pointed out in the claims.

Referring to the drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation of an upperportion of a railjoint the nuts of which are. locked in accordance withmy invention. Fig. 2 is a vertical transverse sectional view on the line2 2 of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a similar view on the line 3 3 of Fig. 1. Fig.4 is arear elevation of the locking-plate. Fig. 5 is a detail of one ofthe locking keys or wedges.

Like numerals of'reference indicate like parts in all the figures of thedrawings.

1 1 designate the meeting ends of two railsections, said railscomprising the usual heads .3, webs 4:, and bases 5.

The webs 4 are at their opposite sides embraced by the fish-bars 5, thesame, in conjunction with the webs, being provided with transversealining holes 6, arranged at opposite sides of the meeting ends andreceiving the bolts 7.

The heads of the bolts rest against the fishbar at one side of thejoint, while the opposite or threaded ends of said bolt extend throughthe holes 8, formed in a locking bar or plate 9. The locking bar orplate 9 is located between the heads 3 and bases 5 of the rail-sectionsand against the face of the fish-bar at that side of the joint. It willbe understood that this locking bar or plate 9 may be of any de siredlength, as its length is according to the Serial No. 553,204. (Nomodel.)

number of bolts to be employed in the makeup of the joint. In thepresent instance two bolts are shown, such being deemed SllffiClBIllJ toillustrate the invention. The outer face of the locking bar or plate 9is provided, coincident with the holes 8, with vertical shallow recessesor channels 10, extending from the upper to the lower edges of said baror plate. Ordinary taps or nuts 11 are located upon the threaded ends ofthe bolts 7 and cor respond in width with the recesses or channelslOjust mentioned.

The rear face of the locking bar or plate is provided beyond the holes 8with recesses 12, whose bottoms are tapered; or, in other words, saidrecesses gradually diminish in depth from their upper to their lowerends. Designed to fit within the recesses 12 are the two, or it may bemore, tapered or wedge-shaped locking-keys 13, which are interposedbetween the bottoms of the recesses and the face of the adjacent fishplate or bar 5.

It will be understood that when one bolt and nut are to be employed therecesses 12 and the locking-keys are to be located at opposite sides ofthe same.

The operation'of locking the nuts in series is as follows: The bolts andfish-bars being placed in position, the locking-plate 9, with the keys13 seated therein and raised to their fullest extent, are applied, thethreaded ends of the bolts passing through the opening 8. The nuts arethen placed on the ends of the bolts and run down thereupon, so as tofit snugly against the locking-bar. It is then simply necessary in orderto take up all slack between the locking-plate and fish-bar to force thekeys downwardly, so that their inclined faces or sides operate upon theinclined bottoms of the recesses or channels 12, and this forces thelocking-bar outward, so that the nuts are received by the recesses 10 inthe outer face of the locking-bar and the sides of the nut are embracedby the edges of the recesses 10, whereby, as will be evident, theaforesaid nuts are prevented from turning in either direction and anefficient lasting locking device for said nuts is produced, and onewhich cannot be destroyed nor its efficiency in any way impaired by0011- stant vibrations to which rails, bridge-irons, or other likestructures are subjected.

If at any time it is desirable to remove the nuts, it is only necessaryto withdraw the keys, which will permit of the locking-bar being pushedbackward away from the nuts, so as to relieve them of their engagementwith the locking-bar and permit of them being rotated from off thebolts.

Of course where this form of lock is employed in iron structures wherethe heads like those in rails are not present the keys need not beplaced in position in their recesses 12 at the time that thelocking-plate is positioned, but may be subsequently driven to theirseats.

Having described my invention, what I claim is 1. The combination withthe rail-sections and opposite fish-bars, of the bolts, the locking-barperforated to receive the bolts and having such perforations formed inthe bottoms of recesses located in the outer face of the locking-bar,the nuts arranged on the ends of the bolts in line with the recesses,the inclined recesses formed in the rear face of the locking-bar and thetapered wedges arranged therein and adapted to force the locking-baroutward, whereby the walls of its recesses embrace the opposite sides ofthe nuts, substantially as specified.

2. The combination with the rail-sections,

the overlapping fish-bars and the bolts passing through the bars andsections and provided with nuts, of the locking-bar having holes toreceive the bolts and coincident therewith provided 011 their outerfaces with recesses to embrace the nuts, the recesses formed in the rearside of the locking-bar and wedge-shaped keys seated therein and adaptedto force the locking-bar outward, whereby the walls of its recessesembrace the opposite sides of the nuts, substantially as specified.

3. In combination with the objects to be secured, and the bolt and nut,the hereindescribed nut-lock, the same consisting of the locking-barhaving a hole to receive the bolt and coincident therewith provided inits outer face with a shallow recess adapted to receive the nut, adevice adapted to be interposed between the rear face of the lockingbarand the objects secured, and to force the locking-bar outward, wherebyits recess engages the walls of the nut, substantially as specified.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

' JAMES C. GEN'JRY.

\Vitnesses:

M. M. BERRY, J. S. CHADVVICK.

